


Blue Flag

by ShelltacularWingedQueen (MrsVisyakSinger)



Category: TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Brotherly Angst, Brothers, Danger, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsVisyakSinger/pseuds/ShelltacularWingedQueen
Summary: A red flag is a warning sign, indicating some sort of danger. But...what if blue were a more fitting color to describe such a thing? Warning b/c mentions of PTSD and some cursing.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Blue Flag

**Author's Note:**

> So, this had been in my head for a while, especially after rewatching a lot of 2k3 and, I very much believe Leonardo and Donatello have PTSD (re-watch the series if you need a refresher, they're the 2 who deal with the worst stuff). 
> 
> Trigger warning if the subject matter is too heavy, but otherwise, please enjoy.

Red flag: a slang term meaning a sign or warning of any impending danger, disaster or toxicity, particularly in a romantic relationship. 

The color ‘red’ typically represents something jarring, based in some sort of fear or even flat out an embodiment of anger. 

Donatello sighed, if only it were that simple.

Sure, Raphael and anger could be synonymous at times and his bandana being red only seemed to support this point. But, his hotheaded brother was not at all a sociopathic control-freak and he was far from toxic. 

Though, the same couldn't be said about his eldest brother. 

Don thought back to when they were teenagers. They'd essentially taken the weight of the world on their shoulders and such a thing had only created long-lasting damage.

Albeit for different reasons, both Donatello and Leonardo had ended up with PTSD.

While Leonardo eventually got some semblance of dealing with his PTSD head-on during his training with The Ancient One, that wasn’t a magical cure-all.

Before all of that, despite the mess of a secondary mutation, Leonardo still beat out Donatello in the monster department. 

Leo’s voice was overtaken by an unwavering rage, his movements were always on high alert and all of a sudden, he found each and every detail to nitpick over anything his brothers didn’t execute with the same precision or perfection he did.

When, one day at the farmhouse, after a particularly rough training session, given that everyone was finally recovering from pretty dire injuries, those words were spoken...

_ “ Blue flag, much.” _

Michelangelo had said it first. And, Mikey's humor was either very hit or miss but, that had made both Raph and Don stop in their tracks. 

" _What'd ya say?" Raph asked._

_ "Blue flag. I mean, I know 'red flags' are a thing but, I don't see red as such a dangerous color anymore. No offense, Raph,” Mikey continued. _

_ “Wait, just so we’re clear, what’re you getting at, Mikey?” Don needed to know for sure. _

_ Mikey explained, “Like, plenty of chicks would still do the three of us. Now, Mr. Blue Flag there? Not so much.”  _

Much as they all wanted to deny it, it was true.

Leonardo was embodying every single stereotype of the dumb jock or future evil villain love interest that the hero would eventually rescue their dream girl away from. Although that truth was scary, this was a much-needed bout of humor during such a tense time. 

Even once Leo seemed to be back to his ‘old self’ if such a persona still existed, the ‘blue flag’ jokes continued. 

Raphael started to refer to actions being “...on some blue flag shit.” 

While Donatello was more likely to say something along the lines of: “Major blue flag there.”

Michelangelo kept it classic, he was the one who coined the phrase, after all. 

Now, years later, the terminology was stuck. It was ingrained in their vocabulary and still kept hidden from Leonardo by some miracle. 

Could there be any going back? Or, were dangers going to be forever synonymous with blue flags?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
